Message from Mr. Nobutaka Machimura, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the opening of the 2005 EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges

January 2005
Japanese

The year 2005 is the "EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges". As we approach the middle of the "Decade of EU-Japan Cooperation" which started in 2001, it is very significant and appropriate that this year has been designated the "EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges", in the hope that Japan-EU relations will be further strengthened in the 21st century. We are to see a variety of events both in Japan and the EU in the framework of the Year.

Japan and Europe have a long history of exchanges. We are familiar with each other's culture in everyday life such as music, the arts, literature, films, food, fashion, manga and animation. There are 242 sister-city links between Japan and the EU. In 2002, about 840,000 people of European nationalities visited Japan, and about 4,690,000 Japanese people visited Europe. Bilateral investment, as well as bilateral trade, has increased in recent years. In fact, the EU has now invested more in Japan than the US, and Japan has become the second largest investor in the EU after the US. The increase in bilateral investment deserves to be welcomed because it not only promotes economic activities but also leads to further exchanges between people.

In the course of the "2005 EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges", many events will be held in a variety of areas such as politics, the economy, society, culture, science and technology, and sports, with the aim of further promoting people-to-people exchanges and deepening mutual understanding. Since July of last year, about 100 events in Japan and about 300 events in the 25 EU Member States have been registered, ranging from cultural events such as Japanese drum concerts and opera to grassroots exchanges organised by local governments or the private sector.

I would like to encourage all of you to actively participate in events during the exchange year organised both in Japan and the EU Member States. I hope these events will provide us with occasions to begin new exchanges. I also hope that the 580 million people in Japan and the EU will strengthen their ties by exchanging information and establishing networks of cooperation.